The present invention relates to an improved bicycle trainer.
Several different kinds of bicycle trainers are known in the prior art. On the one hand, there are so-called stationary bicycles or exercise bicycles which resemble a bicycle without true wheels. Such stationary bicycles are used for indoor cycling or spinning. Typically, these stationary bicycles provide certain pre-programmed artificial profiles which are supposed to simulate, e.g., different slopes such as downhill cycling or uphill cycling by adjusting the resistance accordingly. However, cycling on such a stationary bicycle, while being advantageous for training purposes, can by no means be compared to real cycling on a road. Moreover, professional or semi-professional cyclists typically like using their own bicycle for training purposes. Thus, there are two different kinds of bicycle trainers which may be used in combination with a real bike. A first type of trainer (also called turbo trainer) is a piece of equipment that makes it possible to ride a bicycle while it remains stationary. Such a trainer typically comprises a frame, a clamp to hold the bicycle securely, a roller that presses up against the rear wheel of the bicycle, and a mechanism that provides resistance when the pedals are turned. These trainers are categorized by how the unit provides resistance into wind trainers, magnetic trainers, fluid trainers, centrifugal trainers and utilitarian trainers. In all these trainers of the first type, the bicycle is fixedly mounted onto the trainer and remains entirely stationary during training. Typically, the trainer is fixedly mounted to the rear axle of the bicycle. An entirely different, second type of bicycle trainers are the so-called bicycle rollers which, unlike other types of bicycle trainers, do not attach to the bicycle frame. These bicycle rollers normally comprise three cylinders, drums or rollers, two for the rear wheel and one for the front wheel, on top of which the bicycle rides. A belt may connect one of the rear rollers to the front roller causing the front wheel of the bicycle to spin when the bicycle is pedaled. The rider must balance him- or herself on the rollers while training.